Post-doctoral Scientist, Plant Biotechnology – VTT
15.10.2023https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3732160736
About the job
Are you interested in plant biotechnology and plant-derived high-value compounds and looking for a new postdoctoral opportunity in the field? Would you like to do impactful research in the cutting edge of natural sciences with superb colleagues who are top expert in their field? VTT might be just the place for you. If you are an international talent searching for a new opportunity, read more about the benefits of living in Finland and VTT’s support for relocation here !
VTT is one of the leading applied research organisations in Europe. What unites us are curiosity, a passion for learning and a purpose: to solve the biggest challenges of our time and turn them into sustainable growth and well-being. Our cross-disciplinary community of over 2000 brilliant minds is focused on creating impact through science-based innovation. Get to know us further by exploring VTT’s tech & infra.
We are now looking for a Post-doctoral Scientist to join our Plant Biotechnology team. As a research scientist, your key goal is to engineer metabolic pathways towards capsinoids and capsaicinoids both in plants and yeast using novel engineering tools. In this position, you will be the responsible researcher in an Academy of Finland -funded project. You get to develop a biotechnological production system for the selected high-value plant metabolites using state-of-the-art techniques.Our team, Plant Biotechnology, works on developing plants, plant cells, microalgae, and other plant-based raw materials for the sustainable production of biomass, ingredients, high-value chemicals, and proteins. Product development can be facilitated by metabolic engineering including synthetic biology. Our approaches enables a stable supply in combination with safe and contained production processes. This results in economical and clean products. We offer plant cell and tissue culture technology from initiation up to industrial scale.This position supports long term career opportunities in applied research, industry or academia. The focus is in advancing specified research targets and active publication of research results. VTT started a Postdoc programme in 2023 to develop new ways to support scientific excellence and to strengthen career paths from universities to VTT. VTT wants to provide development opportunities for recent university PhDs in applied research and industry collaboration. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at VTT, you are able to make an impact for our customers and society. Our researchers work closely together with industry, often in interdisciplinary research groups. VTT has excellent and internal services to support your research work.The position is located in Espoo and it is a 2 year temporary contract.
Your responsibilities as a Post Doctoral Researcher:
- Study biosynthetic pathway engineering in plants and yeast in a defined project
- Conduct laboratory work including cell culturing, molecular biology work and chemical analyses
- Plan experiments, analyse the data and communicate project results
- Report the results regularly to the project team and prepare scientific publications
Who we are looking for:
- You have a doctoral degree related to plant science
- Track record in metabolic engineering of plants
- Experience in genome editing techniques
- Experience with yeast transformation is a plus
As a person, we hope that you are:
- An open-minded and innovative person with a vision on longer term research needs. You have a strong passion for work. You are eager to work with new topics and methods, even out of your comfort zone to achieve the set ambitious goals. We appreciate the ability to tolerate pressure and maintain good work-life balance, as well as the willingness to collaborate with experts and partners across different fields.
With VTT, you’ll enjoy:
- Natural sciences with an impact. VTT works on the cutting-edge of natural sciences, and we’ve invested into building state-of-the-art research facilities for natural sciences, such as the Bioruukki pilot infrastructure for bio- and circular economy. Our research agenda is dedicated to solving systemic and technological challenges, such as reaching carbon neutrality and unleashing the power of synthetic biology. That means that at VTT, your expertise in natural sciences will go towards creating real impact. Read more about our strategy – the path of exponential hope .
- Superb colleagues and community. With VTT, you’ll join a community of over 2000 multidisciplinary experts who foster a culture of trust, openness and sharing knowledge. We work truly across disciplines, and house all the cutting-edge sciences from quantum computing to synthetic biology under one roof. Collaborating with superb colleagues is a source of learning, inspiration, and fun. Read more about our organisational culture as the builder of the world’s most meaningful place to work.
- Nordic work–life balance. Working in Finland, the world’s happiest country enables an excellent quality of life. At VTT, we make our people’s well-being a strategic priority. We offer six weeks of paid vacation a year. Our benefits include comprehensive occupational healthcare and a range of well-being services, such as exercise, culture benefits, and hobby clubs. If you are an international talent searching for a new opportunity, read more about the benefits of living in Finland and VTT’s support for relocation here .
- A great career in research. We offer long-term positions and flexible career paths in top-level research. People tend to stay with us for over ten years, as you can advance to different roles and responsibilities within VTT. At VTT, researchers have the flexibility and independence to affect the content of their work. Combining cutting-edge academic research and applied customer projects keeps your career path interesting.
Apply now and join our community of brilliant minds! Please send your CV and answers to 3 position specific questions with your salary request via our recruitment system as soon as possible but at the latest by 22nd of October 2023. We will process applications as they come in, and fill in the position as soon as we find the right candidate. A security clearance procedure may be conducted during the recruitment process.
Interested and want to hear more?
For further information, please contact Research Team Leader Heiko Rischer heiko.rischer@vtt.fi
VTT
VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner. We drive sustainable growth and tackle the biggest global challenges of our time and turn them into growth opportunities. We go beyond the obvious to help the society and companies to grow through technological innovations. We have 80 years of experience of top-level research and science-based results. VTT is at the sweet spot where innovation and business come together.
VTT – beyond the obvious.
Location: Tekniikantie 21, Espoo